As always a huge thanks to anmodo for betaing this chapter. And thanks to everyone that has reviewed.
Chapter 10
Raising a hesitant hand to the door of Jack's office, Danny knocked. Hearing the reply, he quietly slid in nervously interlacing his fingers together. "Jack, u-mm," Danny started.
On hearing the voice, Jack looked up from his paperwork. "I thought you had gone home. Sorry, let me rephrase that. Why haven't you gone home?" Jack asked
"I've just got to finish up some paperwork then I will head home," Danny said looking around the room. He didn't know why he felt so nervous. This was Jack – a man who he had known since he was 25. He supposed the reason why he was so nervous was that saying his decision aloud some how made it real and he would have to go though with it.
"Sorry, Danny. Did that sound like a question? I meant it as an order," Jack said as he stared at Danny's tired and nervous appearance.
"I need to talk," Danny blurted out, mentally kicking himself at the rashness of his actions.
Jack frowned in concern – maybe he had been putting to much pressure on him and Danny had forced himself to return to work too early. Maybe he should've forced Danny to take the full two weeks off. He took a deep breath in order to try and ease his concerns. "Sure, take a seat," he said as he gestured to the chairs in front of his desk.
"U-mm well, err I know, I know what I want to with my father, but I don't!" Danny blurted out.
"Whoa, Danny. Calm down, take a deep breath and try that again," Jack said as he tried reassure his obviously nervous agent.
Taking a deep, shaky breath, Danny held his head in his hands, digging his fingers into his scalp. He was glad that Jack couldn't see his face as he winced—his wrist protesting. He closed his eyes and tried again. "I think I have decided what I want to do about my father," Danny said.
"Ok," Jack said leaning back on his chair but closely watching his nervous agent. "You know whatever you decide I will support that decision."
"Thanks," Danny said, finally finding that he could look up and face Jack.
"What have you decided?" Jack gently pushed when Danny didn't continue.
"U-mm, I-I." Danny closed his eyes and took another deep calming breath, mentally kicking himself again for not holding it together. "I want meet him. To be honest, once I meet him, I don't what I want to do, but I owe it to a lot people to do this."
"You don't owe it to anyone to do this. It wasn't your fault – you know that, don't you?" Jack reassured.
"I know Jack. But I need to do it, I think it's the only way I can get him out of my head and if I owe to people, I am less likely to back out," Danny replied with more confidence.
"Fair enough," Jack replied, feeling slightly more relaxed as he saw the Danny Taylor he knew returning. "I know where he is, but can I suggest something?"
"Sure," Danny said feeling relieved that Jack had understood his reasons.
"Give it a couple more weeks – okay?" Jack suggested. "That's not because I want to think about it more, because you obviously have thought about it a lot or that I am giving you time to back out, which you can if you want to. But you're not 100 percent and I think with something like this, you want to feel a lot better than you do right now."
"Agreed," Danny said with a small smile. He stood up to leave. "Thanks Jack."
"Not a problem, now what are you doing now?" Jack asked.
"I'm just going to finish a bit of paperwork before I head home," Danny said as he started to leave.
"No. You are going home now. You are only back at work early on certain conditions, one of which is that you follow the doctor's and my orders," Jack stated as he eyeballed the tired but more relaxed looking Danny. "So you are packing your stuff and going home, and not by the subway."
"But Jack," Danny started to protest. "Megan lives really close; it's a really short train ride."
"Good," Jack said as he grabbed his car keys. "Then I can drive you."
"But Jack," Danny started to protest again.
"Look you either take the free ride home or you stay at work. If you stay at work I will simply take you back to the hospital and tell them you are showing the symptoms of concussion," Jack said with an evil grin. "Do you understand that?"
"Yes," Danny muttered darkly.
"Good, we understand each other then," Jack said with the same evil grin.
Danny stopped at the elevator. "I thought you didn't have a car anymore," Danny stated feeling that he had a way out.
"Bad luck Danny-boy, it's a rental car. While the FBI's insurance decides whether or not they will pay. My personal car insurance tell me that I am not covered under acts of terrorism," Jack grumbled. "You thought that Megan and I hadn't planned this?"
"Bloody Stalin," Danny muttered under his breath.
"I heard that Danny," Jack chuckled as he walked towards his car.
As Jack started to drive towards Megan's apartment, he tried to engage conversation with Danny. He felt guilty that he had ordered Danny home when the kid just wanted to keep his mind occupied. "Why do you feel that you owe it to people to confront your father?"
Danny jumped slightly as the sudden, unexpected question pulled him out of his deep thoughts. "U-mm, well," Danny said as he tried to pull himself together. "It's bad enough what he did to my mom and Rafi. But then he went after you guys--every where I look I see the marks that he has left behind."
"It's not your fault," Jack started.
"I know that, Jack, but it doesn't change the fact that he's my father. We share DNA-"
"And that's where the similarities end," Jack said cutting Danny off. "If you hadn't told me I would have never guessed that he was your father, as you are totally different."
Nodding slight, Danny then looked up to see where he was. "Take a left at the top here, and drop me off there."
"Ok," Jack said as he made the left hand turn.
"Thanks Jack," Danny said as the car pulled to a stop. He grabbed his stuff and got out of the car.
"Danny," Jack called out. "Are you sure you're all right?"
Danny rolled his eyes and smirked. "I'm fine Jack, I swear. Anyway I'm not going to pass out between here and Megan's apartment."
Jack smirked feeling relived that the Danny Taylor he knew was back. He had been really concerned about him as what Danny had been through had been incredibly traumatic. "Right, see you tomorrow then."
"Thanks for the ride, see you tomorrow," Danny said as he walked into Megan's apartment building – hoping that she was home. He wandered into her apartment, feeling disappointed that she wasn't back. After raiding the fridge, he collapsed on the couch and started channel surfing. Finding nothing on, he sighed loudly to the empty apartment and picked up the x-box – but it wasn't the same without Megan to playfully tease and challenge him. He didn't want to feel that he had become dependant on her but he wanted to tell her about his decision as she was heavily involved in this whole matter.
Quietly slipping into her apartment, Megan smiled slightly as she watched the lone figure of Danny Taylor staring at the blank TV screen. She silently walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Hey baby. How was your day?" she asked as he turned his head to face her. She smiled as she watched his whole face light up.
"Megan," Danny said brightly. "It was good. We found the missing person alive and unharmed. How was your day?"
"My day? Well my day was a boring day in the office, but nothing bad happened, so I guess it was good as well," Megan paused as she looked at the far more relaxed looking Danny. "What else happened?"
"U-mm," Danny said choking on his words. He wondered if he would ever able to talk about his father without getting up tight. "My father."
Megan watched as Danny closed down before her eyes. She sat down next to him and put a supportive arm around his shoulders. "What about your father?" she asked gently.
"I have come to a decision," Danny said as he felt his confidence return.
"Ok, what have you decided," Megan gently pushed as Danny didn't continue.
"I want to meet him, I want to confront him for he did to the people I love. I doubt he will tell me why and I doubt if he did that I would understand – but I have to. I think it's the only way for me to rest my demons," Danny replied looking up. "He murdered my family and then tried to murder the people who I have come to regard as my family. I honestly don't know what I will do when I meet him, I can't keep living in the shadow of his demons that plague me."
"I understand," Megan said quietly. "I know you will know what to do when you confront him. You didn't think you would ever know what to do with him and now you have decide to confront him – give it time, it will come."
"How did you become so wise?" Danny said as he ran a hand through her hair.
"Secrets, baby, secrets," Megan toyed. "So when do you think you are going to confront him?"
"Jack reckons that I should give it a couple weeks - when I am feeling a bit better," Danny sighed.
"I think Jack's right," Megan started
"So do I," Danny replied. "I mean I feel fine, but I don't think I feel 'lets confront all my demons of the past' fine." He smiled as he pulled Megan closer. "But" he started with a raised eyebrow. "There are some things that I feel more than fine to do."
"Oh really, Mr. Taylor and what would these things be?" Megan toyed, her lips just brushing his.
"Well they always say actions are stronger that words," Danny said as leaned in and passionately kissed her.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Two weeks later
Sitting low in his car, Danny fingered his gun before he checked it and slid it into his waistband. Pulled the knife from the sheath on his ankle and twirled it between his fingers before placing it back in the sheath. Pulling the collar up on his coat, he checked the mirrors before slowly and quietly exiting. He scanned the building waiting for movement. Once he was sure that he hadn't been followed, he started to walk towards his destination.
When probing Jack for answers about his father, Jack had accidentally let slip his father's haunt in New York City. Danny looked across the street; he had to do this alone. He felt guilty that he hadn't told Megan or Jack. He trusted them, but this was his fight and his fight alone. Scanning the buildings, looking for any possible signs of his father, he found none. He leaned against a wall and wished that he smoked – at least it was something to do while he was waiting. He looked down at his feet and wished his father would hurry up as he could feel that he was losing his nerve. But he had to do his now or he would never do it.
He looked up and again, he quickly swallowed the bile that rose in his throat as he saw a familiar figure saunter down the road. He felt his pulse quicken as he found himself unconscious start walking towards him. It was as if he had no control over his body – otherwise he didn't think he would have the mental strength to force his body to move. He felt his world spin slightly as he stood in front of his father – blocking his path.
"Oh, it's you. Didn't get enough the first?" Jorge Castaño sneered as his youngest and only remaining son.
"Lay a finger on any of my friends again and I swear I will kill you," Danny said bravely as he tried to hide his fears.
"Oh a threat! I'm so scared!" Jorge mocked
Danny stared at Jorge and saw the murders and the pain his man brought. He saw the abuse of his mother and brother. He saw their murders. He saw Sam's terrified face as the bastard held a knife to her throat. He saw Martin looking shaken and edgy. He saw the burned wreck that was once Jack's car. He felt the years of pain and fear fall away. For the first time, he felt the several inches difference in height.
"Threat?" Danny scoffed. "Why would I threaten you? Why would I take the time and energy to haul my ass out here to threaten you, when I could be having a great time with my girlfriend?"
"Feisty little bitch, that girlfriend of yours," Jorge commented. "I reckon she would do well in one of my clubs."
"Depends on who you're talking about?" Danny replied with a twisted smile. "But I don't think it would be good for business if half your clientele ends up dead or arrested."
"You ungrateful little shit," Jorge yelled as he swung a punch at Danny, which Danny easily blocked. "Oh you think you're a tough guy now?"
"No, I just don't believe in beating and killing women," Danny said as he swung a sharp right hook. He knew with his injuries that he would be at a slight disadvantage but he was several inches taller than his father and had a few pounds of pure muscle over his father. He saw a glint of metal before he saw his father's gun and quickly kicked it away.
"You bastard," Jorge roared as he delivered a wicked left hook on Danny's forehead, splitting open the still healing wound.
Temporarily stunned by the pain and blood pouring down his face into his eye, Danny was defenceless which Jorge took full advance of. As he laid a few quick, sharp punches into Danny's chest and head. He laughed as Danny collapsed to ground.
Collapsing painfully to the ground but with his body fuelled on adrenaline, Danny saw his father had lost concentration for a moment and he too took advantage of it as he delivered a sharp kick to his father's chest bringing him down in an instant. Danny went to his waistband for his gun and didn't find it. He quickly looked around, staring in horror as he saw it lay mere inches from his father's hand. He dropped and twisted his body as he tried to reach his gun before his father did. He gasped in pain as he felt a stabbing pain on his chest. Looking down, he saw blood staining his t-shirt. Danny grimaced as he tried to block out the pain. His father had inflicted these injuries on him and he was using them to his full advantage. He kicked out in the direction on the pain causer only to be met by thin air. He felt his damaged left hand being painful forced open and a cold metal object being shoved into his grasp. He swung his good free hand and met warm flesh. With all his strength he tightened his grip, he found his father loosen his grip and begin to choke. Danny closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as swung a punch with his left hand connecting with his father's face. The pain that shot down his arm was enough to tell him that he had hit his mark. He rolled out the way and staggered up. He stared at the object. It was a few inches long, made from a matt finished metal. At the top, there was a small black button which his thumb had been pressed down on.
"I wouldn't release that button, if I were you," Jorge gasped as he held his broken, bleeding nose.
"What?" Danny said in mild shock
"It's a dead man switch. As soon as you release it, the bomb will go off. If you walk any farther away from that building," Jorge said darkly as he pointed to an apartment block. "The bomb will go off."
"You sick son of a bitch," Danny yelled. He felt the muscles in his wrist spasm. He was sure he had broken his wrist again. He didn't know how much longer he could hold it – but he had to. He was intently staring at the dead man switch that he didn't notice his father pick up an iron bar and swing it at his chest. As the iron bar connected with his chest he collapsed in pain feeling all of the air had been knocked out of his lungs. Danny curled up on his side and tried to take deep, slow breaths – but he couldn't. He briefly closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. He wasn't going to die and he wasn't going to let anyone else die. He eventually managed to get his breathing under control and stared up at his father who now was pointing a gun at him. This was it, Danny thought.
"Where's the bomb?" Danny hissed as he spat up blood.
"And why would I tell you that?" Jorge laughed as clicked off the safety switch.
"Since you are going to kill me, it doesn't matter," Danny said hoping that his father would play along. As his father was arrogant son of bitch, he knew he would.
"3rd floor at the central stairwell," Jorge laughed.
"Thanks," Danny said as he kicked his father hard in the chest. As Jorge fell, Danny quickly rolled to one side, landing a sharp right hook to Jorge's jaw. He took a deep breath before he dove for his gun, noticing in horror that his father was doing the same. He wrapped his hand around cool metal handle of his gun and swung around to face his father – ready to end this. He felt his heart skip a beat as he saw Jorge pointing a gun in his direction as well with his finger on the trigger.
A shot rang out.
